School strike shatters Oasis’ calm after pupil protest over redundancies

Teachers at the privately-run MediaCity Academy in Salford this morning begin two further days of strike action, with more planned before the end of term in a dispute which has seen students join their teachers in protest at the sacking of staff.

NUT and NASUWT members are striking in response to the academy operator, OASIS, attempting to rush through the redundancy of 12 teachers – 20% of the teaching staff.

The teachers took strike action on November 22nd. Further action is scheduled for the 13th and 15th of December.

Last month, students protested outside the academy gates, demanded to speak to the head teacher and collected signatures on a petition after it emerged that numbers of proposed staff cuts had more than doubled. Local reports at the time described the situation as “a near riot”.

Dave Kitchen, who is a member of the NASUWT national executive, told UnionNews: “Teachers at the school are highly committed and hardworking and the decision on industrial action was not taken lightly.

“Staff at the Academy are facing an uncertain future with these proposals and educational standards could be compromised. Students face losing their teachers part way through the academic year and that will have a major impact on the subjects taught.

“Strike action is always a last resort but the staff feel they have no choice – their concerns about these demoralising and destabilising proposals are being ignored.”

The Oasis Trust describes itself as “a Christian-based organisation, engaged in anti-trafficking and family support” as well as mainstream education.

The Anti Academies Alliance, which campaigns against the privatisation of secondary schools says the Oasis Trust has been at the centre of controversy ever since it moved into formal education.

It says a pupil riot at the Oasis Academy in Southampton over student conditions three years ago resulted in the head teacher resigning.